Pope Francis has backed a UN initiative for a global ceasefire in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
In remarks following his Angelus address this Sunday, 5 July, the Pope praised the “commendable” initiative, which he said “would allow the peace and security essential to providing humanitarian assistance”.
The call for a global ceasefire was unanimously adopted by the United Nations Security Council last week, with the members of the security council, including the US, Russia, UK and China, passing a resolution calling for “a general and immediate cessation of hostilities in all situations”. The resolution calls on those in armed conflict to immediately commence a ceasefire for the relief and support of civilian populations impacted by the coronavirus.
The resolution follows on from a statement of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guerres calling for a global ceasefire on 23 March this year. Apart from the Holy Father, who made his support for Guerres clear the following week, prominent supporters of the ceasefire initiative include several churches and human rights organisations, such as Amnesty international. In his statement, UN Secretary General said that a global ceasefire would “bring hope to places among the most vulnerable to Covid-19”, especially refugees and the chronically ill.
In his remarks, Pope Francis called for a ceasefire to be implemented “effectively and promptly”, and outlined his support for “the creation of corridors for humanitarian aid, openness to diplomacy, and attention to those who find themselves in situations of vulnerability.” The Pope also prayed that the Security Council resolution might “become a courageous first step towards a peaceful future."
The Security Council resolution has been welcomed by activists previously frustrated with the Council’s slowness to respond to calls for a ceasefire. 172 UN member states had individually indicated support by the end of last month, and according to the UN, ceasefires had been enforced in 16 different conflicts around the world. It remains to be seen how effective these ceasefires will be, however, with a ceasefire in Yemen being broken by both sides in the conflict since the announcement. Conflicts continue to compound the humanitarian and public health crisis of the coronavirus pandemic in places such as Libya, Syria, Myanmar and South Sudan.
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